Separator



T. L. STURTEVANT.

SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21

Patented Sept. 21', 1920.

law/aw mji wa THOMAS erunrnvanr, or QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASS-IGNOR T0.sruarnvnnr MILL COMP-ANY, or sos'ron raassacnusnrrs, A conronarron orMASSACHU- SETTS.

snrnna'roa.

Specification of Letters Patent. P tented Sept. 21, 1920. A

Application filed September 21, 1917. Serial No. 192,478.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. STU'RTE- VANT, a citizen of'the UnitedStates, residing at Quincy, county of Norfolk, and 'State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Separators, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

The invention hereinafter described relates to separators for gradingmaterials, and more particularly to devices for vibrating the screen ofthe separator.

Such separators usually comprise an inclined casing having a feed box atthe top thereof containing a conveyer screw which feeds the material to'be graded along the feed box over a feed board into the screen casing.The material flows along the upper surface of the screen, and the finesare delivered through one outlet and the tailings are delivered throughanother outlet at the bottom of'the casing.

In order to .efiiciently grade the material, it is necessary to vibratethe screen suficientlyto cause the material to pass readily through thescreen without throwing the material too high above the screen topreventthe, grading of the maximum amount of the material as it flowsalong the screen.

"One of theobjec'ts of the invention is to a provide a simple andeffective device for impartingthe desired character of vibration to thescreen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device 'for vibratingthe screen which may be carried entirelyby the cover of the casing andbe lifted upward therewith when it is desired to have access to thescreen for thepurpose of inspection, removal or repair thereof.

Another object is to provide a device for vibrating the screencomprising a spring member combined with a pin adapted to projectthrough the casing toward and to strike-the screen.

And still another object of the invention isto provide a devicefor'vibrating the screen which is simpleand cheap to manufacture,

The character of the invention 'may'bebest 22 of Fig. l and Fig. 3 on anenlarged scale is a detail view showing parts ofthe screen vibratingdevice. V

Referring to the drawing, the separator shown therein as anexemplification of the.

invention comprisesfa frame 1 having an inclined casing mountedthereon'comprising a bottom 3, side walls '5 and a-cover 7, having its upperendconnected by a 'hir'ige 9 with thecasing and its lower end adapted torest upon a transverse member 11 adjacent the lower end of the casing,

One or more screens may be mounted in this casing, in the presentinstanceof the invention, a single screen being shown, comprising screenclothing 13 stretched upon a frame consisting of longitudinal side bars15 and transverse end bars 17. The screen frame may be suitablysupportedin the easing to permit the vibration thereof. In the presentinstance of the invention, the side bars of the screen frame are mountedon the upper curved ends of leaf springs 19 having springs may belimited by stops 23 mounted on said side bars beneath the upper curvedends of said leaf springs.

The screen is made somewhat narrower than the width of the casing, inorder that it may be inserted into and removed from the casing withoutinterference from the angle bars at the tops of the sides o'f,thecasing. To prevent'escape of:the material over the side edges of thescreen, shield plates 24 may depend from the cover and overlap similarplates 25 secured to and rising fI'ODl the side bars of the screenframe.

Next will be described the means for vibrating the screen. In the"presentinstance of the invention, this means comprises a spring member26 having a part 27 secured in fixed position on a bracket 29 havingfeet secured to the casing cover. A pin 31 is carried by the resilientmember and projects down through the cover toward the screen. in thepresent instance of the invention, the spring member and pin are formedof one integral ribbon of tempered steel or other suitable material,bent so that the spring member extends substantially parallel to thecover of the casing, and the pin projects transversely to said memberperpendicularly to the cover of the casing.

Preferably, the bend in the ribbon is given a gradual curve 33 to add tothe strength of the bend and contribute to the resilience thereof. Theribbon may also be given a bend 35 with a gradual curve further tocontribute to the strength and resilience thereof. The lower end of thepin may strike any suitable part of the screen, such as its clothing,frame, or protective armor, or a member connected to the screen. In thepresent instance, the pin is adapted to strike the bottom of a guard 37mounted on the clothing above a transverse bar 89 connected to the sidebars of the screen frame. This guard has a deflector 87 which serves todivert the material from the point of intermittent engagement of the pinwith the guard. To prevent objectionable wear on the screen part engagedby the pin, the lower end of the latter may be curved to present a foot40 having a substantial bearing surface.

To facilitate the mounting of the combined spring member and pin in itsoperative position on the cover and to facilitate removal therefrom, thepin may project through an opening ell 3) in the cover suflicientlylarge to permit the foot d0 to pass therethrough. A ca plate 43 for thisopening maybe secured by bolts to the cover, and have a hole therein toreceive the Suitable means is provided for energizing or flexing thespring member to cause the pin carried thereby to strike and vibrate thescreen. In the present instance of the invention, this means compriseshammers or strikers 45 pivotally connected to arms 4L7 projecting from asplit hub 49 fast on a shaft 51 jonrnaled in bearings in brackets 53secured to the top of the casing cover. The shaft may be rotated by anysuitable means, unnecessary to show herein.

The construction is such, that as the shaft is rotated, the hammers flyaround and strike successive blows adjacent the bend 38 of the strip.This flexes the spring member and causes the same to vibrate the pin 31,

which, in turn transmits the vibrations to the screen. The foot of thepin 31 preferably normally is out of engagement with the screen, butwhen the spring member is vibrated, it moves down into engagement withthe screen and may impart blows thereto with a force diminishing as theamplitude of vibration of the spring member diminishes.

Since the pin is carried by the spring member, the screen is relievedfrom the weight and deadening effect of the pin thereon, therebypermitting a greater freedom of vibration of the screen than if it hadto support the weight of a pin, which obviously would tend to diminishthe screen vibration.

The pin delivers an instant blow to the screen and recoils immediatelytherefrom, in a manner somewhat similar to the action of a piano hammerin its tap on and recoil from a piano wire.

In a sense the spring member and the pin constitute a recoiling springhammer for vibrating the screen, and the rotating strikers serve as theactuating means for setting the spring hammer in motion.

The present form of spring hammer means shown, has a high degree ofliveliness due to the resilience of the member 26, pin 31, curved bends3-3 and 35, and the curved foot 37 thereof.

The spring member and pin may be adjustably mounted. In the presentinstance, to accomplish this, one or more shims 55 may be interposed.between the top of the bracket and the fixed part 27 of the springmember and may be secured by bolts 57 entered therethrough.

This adjustment will permit the distance of the foot of the pin from thescreen to be varied, and if desired the distance may be such that thepin will strike the screen with but a single tap for each blow of therotating hammers. Also this adjustment will permit the end of the springmember struck by the hammers to be raised or lowered relatively to theaxis of rotation of the latter to vary the force of the blows of thehammers on said member. Screens of different character and tension willvibrate differently, but this adjustment will permit the vibrations ofthe spring member to be timed and regulated to conform to differentscreens and conditions as desired.

The screen vibrating device described may constitute one of severalsimilar units, the number of which. will vary according to the size ofthe screen and conditions as required. In the present instance of theinvention, four such units are used, two on each of a pair of shaftsmounted on the cover.

While the screen vibrating device has been shown as mounted on thecover, it will be understood that it may be located in a difi erentposition if desired.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiment shown, but that various deviations may be made therefromwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

'What is claimed is 1. In a separator, the combination of a casing, ascreen for grading materials mounted in said casing, and means forvibrating said screen comprising a bracket mounted on said casing, aresilient arm having one end secured to said bracket and a portionextending a substantial distance from said bracket along said casing,and a portion extending thence transversely to said first named portionthrough the casing and having an end for engagement with the screen, androtary swing hammer means mounted on said casing for imparting blows tosaid arm at the juncture of said transverse portions.

2. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a screen for gradingmaterials mounted in said casing, and means for vibrating said screencomprising a bracket mounted on said casing, a resilient member having apart adjustably secured to said bracket that the distance of said memberfrom the screen may be varied, a striker member connected to saidresilient member and projecting transversely thereto through means forintermittently engaging said resilient'member to cause the strikermember to act on the screen, said casing opening being sufficientlylarge to allow the rounded end of said striker member to passtherethrough, and a cover plate fitting said striker plate for closingthe opening in said casing.

4. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a screen for gradingmaterials 'mounted in said casing, and means for vitially L-shapedmember having a vibratory resilient leg extending approximately parallelto the screen and an integral striker leg projecting a substantialdistance therefrom toward the' screen, and rotary hammer means forimparting blows to said members adjacent the juncture of said legs.

6. In a separator, the combination of a screen for grading materials,and means for vibrating said screen including a support, a substantiallyL-shaped member having a resilient leg with an end thereof secured tosaid support and a striker leg projecting from the opposite end of saidleg toward the screen, and rotary hammer means for imparting blows tosaid member at the juncture of said legs.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS L. STUR'IEVANT.

